Eating for health & testing my taste buds one bite at a time…

Quinoa Chickpea Veggie Bowl

Happy Monday friends! Today I had the pleasure of having the day off and getting to spend it with hub! We had a wonderful day walking around outdoor shopping, having a tasty lunch, spending some time by the pool, and spending some time with Eddie (our pup!).

Since I had the day off, I postponed my usual Sunday meal prep to today. Ya’ll know I love a good quinoa bowl, so on the menu for lunch this week is myQuinoa Chickpea Veggie Bowl! I’m excited to share this recipe because it’s something I show a lot on IG, but just haven’t gotten around to writing down the recipe and posting about it!

Jeff and I both love quinoa, and it has really become a weekly staple in our diets. We use it many different ways, and I have even found Jeff now cooking this on his own (proud moment!)! This bowl is super easy and fast to make, and you can change the veggies to whatever is in season or what you like best. For this bowl, I used carrots, zucchini, and kale as my main veggies. Typically my quinoa bowls all have kale because it holds up better than other greens such as spinach or arugula when cooked.

I’ve mentioned before I usually leave a day to bring leftovers as my lunch, so when I prep on Sundays I prep for 4 days. If you wanted to prep for a full 5, I would increase the quinoa to 3/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup. Give this a try and let me know what you think! Have a great week everyone!

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

On a greased baking sheet, roast chickpeas, carrot, and zucchini with either a little olive oil or olive oil spray, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder (season to your liking). Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots begin to caramelize and the chickpeas turn a light golden brown.

Bring 1/2 cup of quinoa with ~1.5 cups of water to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer. You may need to add another splash of water as it’s absorbed into the quinoa. Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking.

Roughly chop the kale. In a large sauté pan, sauté onion and kale with a little garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until kale is wilted. Add a splash of water to the pan to help kale wilt.

Once veggies and chickpeas are finished roasting and the quinoa is cooked through, add all ingredients to sauté pan and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil. If using this recipe for meal prep, allow the dish to cool for 10-15 minutes before putting it into containers and placing in the refrigerator. Can add various toppings if desired such as sriracha, salsa, avocado, or shredded cheeses.